End of the Anglican era?

Theo Hobson, in a provocative essay published in The Guardian, argues that the recent arguments within the Church of England, over openly homosexual bishops, reflect a deeper problem that Anglicanism cannot solve.

It's all over, Hobson argues. The Anglican tradition cannot survive. The whole piece is worth reading, but this snippet might convey the tone:

So why is the Anglican settlement finally unravelling after nearly 500 years? We must refer to the church's establishment. To put things bluntly: establishment is effectively over and we are in the headless chicken phase.

Phil Lawler has been a Catholic journalist for more than 30 years. He has edited several Catholic magazines and written eight books. Founder of Catholic World News, he is the news director and lead analyst at CatholicCulture.org. See full bio.

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The Anglican tradition started as way to justify the marital infidelity of king Henry VIII. It does not have apostolic succession and its a schematic and heretic branch of the Church, one founded not on theological dissent (like the Lutherans) or legitimate Tradition such as the Eastern Churches, but on the very pragmatic fact that Henry wanted to divorce his Spanish wife to marry poor Anne Boleyn. He then went on to steal Church property, behead several of his wives and kill all opposition.

Posted by: -
Sep. 01, 2003 9:31 PM ET USA

YES. But his name was MORE, not Moore. He was English !

Posted by: John J Plick -
Sep. 01, 2003 6:51 PM ET USA

How morbidly amusing! You really DO reap what you sow! Moore lost his head, now the Anglican church has lost their's, so to speak; But the attorney paid a high price in order to extinguish evil...Do you think we in America are up to that , Phil? (Not to mention the disembowelment of the Carthusians) As I have said in previous writings, I would keep pride and gloating to a minumum as "our cheque" has not been paid yet.

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